Heat pumps and oil work together in Grade II Listed mansion

Tony Prior looks at two heating systems working in perfect harmony in a listed mansion

In my time publishing Refurb projects magazine, I have come across many stunning buildings and beautiful restorations and what I have loved most are the examples that are a perfect marriage of the old and the new.

Just such an example can be seen in what the owners of a Georgian country house in rural Shropshire have done to reduce their heating bills with the installation of air source heat pumps working alongside the existing oil boiler.

Heating this 13-bedroomed home was costing a small fortune in oil for the owner but there were also limits on how much improvement could be made to the thermal properties of the Grade II listed property.

Originally built in 1794, Henlle Hall, in Gobowen near Oswestry is the home of Cosmo Lloyd and his family who have developed the grounds of the estate into a unique, award-winning and relaxing country retreat with a combination of courtyard cottages and woodland lodges.

This fantastic, historic building is also leaky and there is little the owners can do because of the Grade II Listing.

Tony PriorEditor of Refurb Projects

“The solution was to add three Ecodan 11kW renewable heat pumps to provide the majority of heating throughout the year, with the oil boiler kicking in as a last resort when the weather turns extremely cold”, explains Mr Lloyd.

In addition to the 13 bedrooms, Henlle Hall has six grand rooms on the ground floor including the kitchen, drawing, games, dining room, parlour and the feather room (which has borders painted in game bird feathers).

“It is a fantastic, historic building but it is also leaky and there is not much we can do because of the Grade II Listing”, says Mr Lloyd.

Ecodan heat pumps

Henlle Hall

Three Ecodan air source heat pumps have been installed discretely outside the rear of the property and these work in a cascade system, which means that the heat pumps work individually or together to respond accurately to the heating requirements of the property.

The demand is also rotated between the units so that the work is shared between all three, maximising efficiency and helping prolong the system’s lifespan.

The heat pump system’s intelligent controls mean that its work in a hybrid situation with the oil boiler, deciding which heating system to use at any time to ensure that the house is heated in the most economical way possible.

“We had thought that we would simply have to put up with the high costs of running on oil and the problems with winter deliveries, but now, this is so much better all round ”, added Mr Lloyd.

“We also qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive on every kW of renewable heating that the Ecodan system generates”.